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I am Perry Peterson, a retired auditor and tax accountant. My wife Valeta and I live along the front range of the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountains.

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January 09, 2014

Congressional exodus: 2 House Democrats call it quits

Two veteran Democratic members of Congress have decided to retire at the end of the term, making it tougher for Democrats to recapture a House majority this fall.

Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, a nine-term Democrat from New York, and Rep. Mike McIntyre, a nine-term Democrat from North Carolina, both announced that they have had enough.

North Carolina Rep. Mike McIntyre and New York Rep. Carolyn McCarthy will not seek reelection this year, according to multiple Democratic sources familiar with their plans – marking a blow to Democratic efforts to win control of the House.

Carolyn McCarthy - Mike McIntyre

The 57-year-old McIntyre, who was elected in 1996 to the Wilmington-area congressional seat, narrowly defeated Republican state Sen. David Rouzer in 2012 and was poised to face him in a 2014 rematch. His retirement from the heavily Republican district will further thin the ranks of Blue Dog (moderate) Democrats. It comes less than a month after another Blue Dog, Utah Rep. Jim Matheson, said his current term would be his last.

Republicans, who are trying to defend a 17-seat House majority, say those retirements show that Democrats in conservative districts are growing concerned about running for reelection when a debate over the bungled ObamaCare roll-out is taking center stage.

There will likely be several other Democrats running in moderate and conservative districts who will have an uphill battle to hold on to their seats in November.